The research investigates user-preferences for neighborhood environments as a basis for analyzing, critiquing, and where pertinent, for reformulating traditional planning standards currently used by the environmental design profession. Preferences are elicited within a "quality of life" framework which focusses on "High-level" health needs and well-being. These are expressed in terms of descriptive and evaluative responses to survey questions regarding the respondent's present neighborhood environment. Responses are oriented towards the physical elements in the residential environment; the ambient attributes; and the respondent's activities within the residential environment. Finally, responses are expressed in terms of the respondents' preferences (measured in terms of trade-offs) as to existing and desired neighborhood attributes. The survey instrument includes standardized and free-form questions dealing with the respondent's perceptions and evaluations of the residential environment; cartographic descriptions in terms of respondent-drawn maps; activities undertaken in the residential environment and a partial time-budget; and a trade-off game which elicited preferences expressed in terms of how valuable a desired neighborhood attribute was by comparison with how much of another existing attribute would be sacrificed to achieve it. Seven different population groups (broken down by stage in life- cycle) are being surveyed: Upper-income White; middle-income White Mexican-American, and Black; Lower-income White, Mexican-American, and Black, in 17 different areas in Los Angeles.